The Verenfall Chronicles

Races and Interactions

Called the ‘Civilized Races’, these are the men and women that inhabit the country of Verenfall, and most of the known world. They live together in a strange harmony that both harbors and fosters all multitude of racial prejudices while also encouraging primarily peaceful interaction between all subjects of the crown.

Humans

Humans are by far the most numerous and varied of the civilized races. Humans are short lived but often times ambitious, causing them to live full lives and granting them an uncanny ability to be at the center of deeds and events that will shape history for ages to come. Humans are persistent and determined, and often time make exceptional soldiers and wizards, as they have a predisposition to hard work. Humans also make up the largest group of sorcerers in the world.

Elves

Lithe and fair, the elves of Verenfall make up another large portion of the total populace. Many elves tend to have a knack for learning and manipulating magic, often joining one of the colleges of magic (Most elven mages are of Orilonian or Tasalinian descent). High Elves are cunning and fit well in the intrigues of court and the politics that rule Verenfall and, to an almost greater extent, the Colleges of magic. They get along well with noble-born humans, as they are often times similar in bearing and attitude, though noble elves find it difficult to not look down on the humans for their short lives and relative naivety, often times cultivating in elves (especially and primarily in nobles) a sense of arrogant superiority.

Elven families tend to be closer knit the lower in society in which the family is placed. Elven nobles will often times not hesitate to sell out a sibling or other family member if it would cause them a gain in the cutthroat world of court. This, however, is not true for all noble families. Some act towards each other as a elven peasant family would act, or as a wood elf tribe, both who value camaraderie and family bonds.

Elves and dwarves interact poorly in social situations, dwarves being too forward and passionate for elves cunning aloofness. Halflings and Gnomes are viewed by Elves as little more than children.

Dwarves

The hardiest and most jovial of the civilized races, dwarves are passionate beings who see little reason in concealing their emotions. When a dwarf is happy, you will know. When he is sad, you will know. Dwarves revere the arts of combat and crafting, leading many surface dwarves to seek jobs in military or as smiths or architects. While not particularly flashy, dwarven architecture is sturdy and- more important to a growing nation- quick to build if one’s team is skilled enough. As such, dwarven builders and architects especially find many lucrative jobs on the surface.

Dwarves find little attractive in the complex and ever changing world of politics, and are content to allow the humans and elves to squabble over worthless titles. To most dwarves, the only nobles who matter are the king and whoever presides over whichever city the dwarf lives in. A dwarf would show the king the utmost respect he could manage, and value such interactions highly, whereas an elven noble would be no different to a dwarf than a human peasant. Dwarves value family highly, and their family name is a thing of pride among dwarves.

Half Elves

The often time bastard children of elves and humans, half elves are given both a gift and a curse. Often times, half elves are looked down upon as the scum of society, and a large portion of the orphan and street urchin populace consists of half elves. However, given time, these men and women can find their way into a place in either the human or elven world, and even more rarely, both. This gives half elves a freedom of choice that few others have.

Many half elves value family little, as few half elves come from functioning homes, instead they often exist as unfortunate byproducts of an act best- in society’s eyes- forgotten. As such, they never learned to value familial bonds. This isn’t to say that homes and families don’t exist in which elves and humans live together, and there are elven and human couples. Half elves also tend to gravitate towards each other, and as such the lineage continues in that manner.

Half elves define themselves, as few races do. Their interaction is almost entirely defined by how they choose to live their life. This is to say, a half elf embracing their elven lineage (as in raised by an elven parent) would interact much as an elf, and vice versa for their human lineage.

Halflings

No one is particularly sure about why this small race exists, just that it does. Halflings tend towards jovial and carefree, and their fairly long lifespan is only elongated by their carefree lifestyle and how few risks they take. A halfling rarely makes the money necessary to buy their way into nobility, and fewer still care. Most halfling are content with their lot.

Halfling families are tight knit, rivaling a dwarf’s value of kinship. However, rather than many families within a clan as dwarves often do, halflings consider everyone in their village family. This is not by blood, and marriages do exist and occur. But halflings rarely use family names, and when they do it is simply the name of their village, as that is their family in their eyes.

Halflings get along well with anyone who gets along with them. They are friendly and caring, and more than willing to help a stranger in need.

Gnomes

Gnomes are lively and extravagant creatures, loving life and every minute they live it. They often possess a near insatiable curiosity, and many gnomes lead lives as tinkerers and scholars, and many still pursue careers as wizards. Most gnomish wizards study in the college of Tasalin; while this is not a rule, it is a strange occurrence in which a gnome does not, and they tend then to be looked down upon by their peers.

Gnomish society is fairly individualistic, with gnomes being named once by their parents upon birth, and then earning a surname later in life via their deeds. Family holds little sway in a gnome’s eyes, but they value society. Many gnomish villages tend towards everyone helping everyone, and they’re more than willing to often simply accept bragging rights as reward for a job well done. However, they still appreciate gold.

Gnomes and dwarves get along well, but humans and elves look down upon the energetic beings. Halflings and gnomes tend to get along well, but not as well as gnomes and dwarves.